Car won't crank but lights are on

LKGLOVER

MEMBER
1996 TOYOTA TERCEL
4WD
MANUAL

Today I decided to utilize a voucher for a free hotel stay at a casino resort in the mountains about 3 1/2 hours away from my home so I got packed and ready to go and everything was fine, and before leaving I checked to make sure the car had coolant and oil and what not and then cranked my car up and got on the road. About 2 1/2 hours into my driving trip I decided to stop and get gas and take a much needed bathroom break. I pump my gas and hop in my car to leave the gas station and my car wont start but all the lights are on and radio is playing but car will not crank. I've been told it could be a starter issue but don't know for sure since i'm not an expert on cars. Please help with any info stuck in the mountains and dont have a lot of cash. So any assistance would be great. Thanks

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,863 POSTS

First of all, you have a manual transmission, so you're not stranded. Find someone to push-start the engine, then, when you want to stop next time, park on a hill or incline so you can do that again if necessary.

If there was no sound from under the hood when you tried to crank the engine, the starter is probably the last suspect. There can be a defective clutch safety switch, a starter relay with bad contacts, even a bad section in the ignition switch. There can also be a problem with the generator / charging system that allowed the battery to slowly run down. If that's the case, a jump-start will get you going, then, there is one way the generator can work partially but not fully. That will get you home if you turn off all the electrical stuff you don't absolutely need. Turn off the head lights, radio, and heater fan.

I know I didn't give you any real answers, but we need test results to analyze to provide a better diagnosis.